Twitter has been variously described as a social networking site, a micro blogging tool, and a real-time information network. Whatever it is called, it is a phenomenon that has taken the world by storm. Whether you are a hardcore Twitter aficionado, or just contemplating signing up, this article details important facts about Twitter and security that you should know.

How Twitter Works:

Users who sign up for an account on the website are presented with a dialog box captioned, "What's happening?" Users can enter anything they like in this box, which has a limit of 140 characters. Users can also search for other people on the service and opt to "follow" them.

Following a person will allow you to view their latest status updates. These status updates are referred to as tweets or twits. Similarly, you have the option of following people to keep abreast of the latest they have to say.

Uses Of Twitter:

The simplicity of Twitter means that it can be used for virtually anything at all. Naturally, this implies that different twits will be of varying usefulness. Besides, tweets will be of varying value to different followers, based on their interests and preferences.

These caveats apart, Twitter has appealed to thousands of people. People use it to keep in touch with the latest in the lives of their family and friends, fans use it to follow their favorite stars, and it is also used to share breaking news. This may come in the form of routine tech news or financial market updates from experts or the more extraordinary updates such as victims of an on-going terrorist attack.

Security Concerns:

One of the key elements in the success of Twitter has been its simplicity. However, this same factor allows for people's Twitter accounts to grow to massive proportions, with hundreds of users followed and just as many following back.

With so many people tweeting, the potential for abuse of sensitive or personal information is huge. In fact, there have been quite a few security lapses in the history of the service. Although Twitter offers the option of classifying users into lists and allows posting twits to specific lists, this is still not full proof security.

Several users felt the need for a method to protect their tweets so that only selected followers will be able to view. This is now possible thanks to a nifty little tool named Redtwit. This is a third-party application that serves as a great security add-on for Twitter.

It allows you to assign passwords to tweets from your existing Twitter account. These password-protected twits are then cyphered using sophisticated encryption making them completely private and secure. You can share the decryption password with as many people as you want. This allows only those people to decode and view the content of your secure tweets.

In addition to offering security, Redtwit also allows users to keep track of all their twits. Unlike Twitter timeline, where old messages can easily get buried and hard-to-find, Redtwit's comprehensive tracking allows users to keep tabs on their messages and delete them.